It’s cold out there! And with more snow sure to hit the Cleveland area, it’s important to take good care of your car. After all, no one wants to be stuck in the middle of a blizzard waiting for a Good Samaritan to help you with your car troubles.
One important way you can ensure your car won’t be on the side of the road this January is by checking your battery. This is an ideal time of year to make sure your battery’s posts and connections are corrosion-free and that your battery has all the water it needs. If your battery is more than three years old, have a certified repair shop test its ability to hold a charge.
Many people don’t know that on average, a car battery will last for about three to five years. In most cases you will find that it will last towards the shorter end of this scale and need to be replaced at the three-year mark. There are many variables that will determine how long a car battery will last.
What Shortens My Battery’s Lifespan?
Many short trips can reduce the life of your automotive batteries. If your vehicle has an average run time of less than 20 minutes, your alternator will not have the opportunity to recharge it fully. Many starting cycles, coupled with short run times will leave your battery below the ideal charged specification for most of its shortened life.
Another reason for a dead car battery would be exposures to extreme temperatures. The internal cranking power is created by a chemical reaction. The outside temperature affects this chemical reaction. This is why you will find that many batteries are encased in an insulated jacket. This insulation allows it to go through its normal temperature changes slowly and can extend overall battery life. One of the big mistakes that the do-it-yourself and professional mechanics will make is when they replace a car battery they will discard this insulated cover. This will also shorten the life span. The manufacture put this insulated cover on for a reason so you don’t want to forget to reinstall it.
Take Care of Your Car Battery
If you take care of your battery, it will take care of you. Regular maintenance is a good habit to get into.
If you want your battery to last to the five-year mark, you’re going to have to take care of it. This is not too hard to do. The stuff to use is called terminal protector spray.
If you apply this product to new or clean terminals, it will greatly reduce the amount of corrosion that builds up. Corrosion can prevent the proper automatic charging of the battery from the vehicles alternator. If you take care of your battery, it will take care of you. Regular maintenance is a good habit to get into. If you want your battery to last to the five-year mark, you’re going to have to take care of it. This is not too hard to do. The stuff to use is called terminal protector spray.
Following this procedure every six months, will help it last much longer. This is one of those situations where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Dead Car Battery Diagnosis
When your car battery goes completely dead, there are a few factors that will determine your next step. If it is more than three years old, your best bet would be to replace the battery. If you’re not sure how old it is your next step should be to charge and test the battery. Be sure to always wear safety glasses and protective clothing. Battery acid is dangerous stuff! Battery chargers and testers have come down in price in recent years. These are good tools to have around. This way you will have what you need when faced with the dead battery problem.
Be Prepared for the Worst
A dead car battery is a fact of life. Being prepared for when this happens is also simpler then you may think. To avoid being stuck somewhere, you want to make sure that you have a good set of battery cables and safety glasses in your vehicle. You also want to be familiar with the hook up and operation of these cables.
An even better solution to the dead battery problem is to have your own jump box. Having your own battery jump box can avoid the problems of hooking up the jumper cables to another vehicle. It is also nice to be able to jump your vehicle without having to ask somebody for help.
Testers, jump boxes and chargers can give you piece of mind and some independence. Most use simple indicators of green and red that can take the guessing out of diagnosing your automotive battery on your own.
